Oregon ‘Scientist of the Year’ Facing Child Porn Charges
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A longtime Portland State University professor recognized last year as one of Oregon’s top scientists has been placed on paid administrative leave amid child pornography charges.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 56-year-old chemistry professor Niles Lehman was arrested in February after he was indicted on charges of encouraging child sexual abuse.
He is accused of viewing and disseminating child porn images between October 2017 and September 2018.
Lehman posted bail in March, Oregon court records show. A judge ordered him to be placed on GPS monitoring, surrender his passport, stay off the internet, and avoid children and places where they’re likely to gather.
In a statement Tuesday, Portland State University confirmed Lehman is on paid administrative leave, that the school is cooperating with the police investigation and “very concerned about the charges.”
Michael Romano, Lehman’s attorney, declined to comment on his behalf of his client.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
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